Exaggerator has booked a busy 2017

Eclipse Award finalist Exaggerator owns three Grade 1 victories – more than any other son of rising young classic sire Curlin. As a result, the Preakness Stakes winner already has several Grade 1 winners in his first book for 2017 at WinStar Farm.

The latest to join the lineup is Belle Gallantey, who won the 2014 Delaware Handicap by 2 3/4 lengths over the prior year’s Kentucky Oaks winner, Princess of Sylmar and, later, the Beldame Stakes by 8 1/4 lengths over Stopchargingmaria, who would go on to win the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. The After Market mare is from the family of champion Meadow Star – the grandam of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Arrogate, the favorite to be named Eclipse champion 3-year-old male.

Also set to visit Exaggerator this season are Betty’s Solutions, the dam of Grade 1 winner Include Betty as well as Grade 1-placed Blonde Fog and stakes-placed stakes producer Francesca d’Gorgio; Fashion Cat, a half-sister to classic-placed Peace Rules and the dam of Grade 2 winner Corfu and stakes-placed Runway Ready; and Grade 2 winner Disposablepleasure. All four mares are owned by the multinational group S.F. Bloodstock, which purchased them for a total of $1,375,000 over the last three years.

“SF [is] massively committed to supporting Exaggerator,” representative Tom Ryan said of the young stallion.

Another international group, China Horse Club, bought into Exaggerator’s stud career and will support him with prominent mares, including Grade 1 winner Last Full Measure. The Empire Maker mare, out of Grade 1 winner Lazy Slusan, was a $1.5 million purchase.

Exaggerator is one of two young classic winners by Curlin at stud in Kentucky. Palace Malice, the winner of the 2013 Belmont Stakes, stands at Three Chimneys Farm; his first foals arrive this year.

Eclipse finalists in new careers

The majority of the fillies and mares who are finalists in their Eclipse Award divisions will return to racing in 2017, with a few notable exceptions who already have high-profile dates lined up when Kentucky breeding sheds open next month.

The group is led by Beholder, favored to earn her fourth divisional Eclipse Award for Spendthrift Farm. Shortly after her retirement last November, she was booked to Coolmore’s outstanding young sire Uncle Mo for her first season as a broodmare.

Cavorting, another finalist for champion older dirt female, has joined owner Stonestreet Farm’s broodmare band and is booked to Curlin at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm.

Kentucky Oaks winner and Eclipse finalist Cathryn Sophia, a $1.4 million purchase out of the Fasig-Tipton November sale, is booked to WinStar Farm’s Pioneerof the Nile. Also a seven-figure purchase at that sale was the female sprint finalist Haveyougoneaway, who sold to Japanese interests and will be bred to top sire Deep Impact.